1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus for effecting recording on the two sides of a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
Generally in recording apparatuses of the electrophotographic type or the ink jet type, there have been proposed recording apparatuses which can record on the two sides of a sheet-like recording medium. Such recording apparatuses can decrease recording mediums required for recording to half and can also decrease the space for keeping recording mediums after recording to about half, and thus lead to the saving of resources and the saving of space and have recently been spotlighted.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-327950 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-157757, there is described a recording apparatus in which a recording medium on one side of which recording has been effected is reversed and thereafter is re-inserted into a recording portion, and recording is effected on the other side of the recording medium.
Also, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-76713 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-89140, there is described a recording apparatus in which recording heads are disposed opposite to the two sides of a recording medium respectively and the respective recording heads record on the two sides of the recording medium.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-23807, there is described a recording apparatus in which without a recording medium being reversed, a recording head scans the two sides of the recording medium as a series of operations.
Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,526, there is described a recording apparatus in which a recording head is made movable relative to the front and back sides of a recording medium disposed in a U-shaped conveying path, whereby the recording head records on the two sides of the recording medium.
However, the recording apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-327950 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-157757 requires a relatively large mechanism for reversing the recording medium. There is also the problem that the time required for delivery, reversal and re-insertion becomes relatively long and therefore the recording speed becomes relatively low.
Also, the recording apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-76713 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-89140 requires two sets of recording heads and two sets of peripheral mechanisms therefor and therefore may rise in manufacturing cost. Also, there is the problem that when the last page of a document of which the last page is an odd page is to be outputted or when recording is to be effected on only one side of back print film, OHP film or the like, one of the recording heads becomes useless.
Also, in the recording apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-238073, the posture of the recording portion of the recording head is suddenly vertically reversed and therefore, when for example, the recording portion is of the ink jet recording type, the stability of the static negative pressure of the orifice position of the recording head may lack after reversal. As the result, there arises the problem that a predetermined waiting time is required until recording can be started after reversal or the printing mode is limited to business documents in which the outputting of photographs or the like is not required.
The recording apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,526 also suffers from the problem that the recording medium is reversed and therefore the recording speed becomes relatively low.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus which can effect recording quickly and reliably on the two sides of a recording medium by the use of a single recording head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium by a recording head having a first recording portion and a second recording portion, the recording apparatus being provided with a recording medium conveying path for conveying the recording medium in opposed relationship with the recording head, and a reversing mechanism portion disposed in the recording medium conveying path for spacing a first side of the recording medium apart from the first recording portion, and thereafter reversing the recording medium so as to oppose a second side of the recording medium to the second recording portion.